I sigh.‘Don’t remind me.’
‘I must.This never happens.’
‘It was a momentary lapse in judgement.A glitch in the matrix.It won’t happen again.’
‘You say that like rules aren’t meant to be broken.’
‘They’re not.’
‘Some are.’
‘Not mine.’
She nods solemnly.‘Except the one about not rashing up post- hook-up.Because …’ She gestures at my chest.‘It’s spreading.’
I yank on my t-shirt.‘Jesus Christ, am I really breaking out in a rash?’
Abbey laughs.‘It looks itchy.’
I pull my collar down and check to see if it’s spread past my chest.‘Maybe I’m allergic to something.’
Abbey scoffs.‘Yeah, pine nuts and tall blond men.’
I level a glare at her, but she just smiles.‘Your body’s reacting to being emotionally compromised.’
I hurl a coffee pod at her that hits her in the boob.
‘Ow,’ she says, laughing.‘Fine.New subject.Let’s talk about the absolute rodeo that was my night.’
‘Dex?’I ask, raising a brow.
‘Dax,’ she corrects and holds up a finger.‘Don’t ask.And it was fucking amazing.Rough.Hot.I wore his cowboy hat.’She gives a low whistle.‘Men out here?Built different, I’m telling you.’
I mutter, ‘I know.’
She smirks and we lapse into silence, sipping our coffee, pretending everything is fine.But everything isnotfine.
Because Luke just kissed me like he wanted to do it again.Like last night wasn’t a one-off.Like I am not, in fact, the emotionally unavailable girl I’ve spent years training to be.And somehow, that thought is worse than the rash spreading on my neck.
TEN
The sun is already baking my forehead by the time we step outside and the air is thick enough to chew, but the gum trees hanging overhead remain unbothered – their woody limbs at home with the red soil.Ella, in a loose-fitting pair of jeans and a soft yellow button-down shirt, tosses a bag into the red helicopter and waves her adorable cowboy hat at me and Abbey as we walk over.
‘Why am I not surprised?’she says, grinning.
I glance down at the little white sundress and Blundstone boots combo I changed into after breakfast, then at Abbey – denim overalls, bob turned into two cute plaits – and shrug.‘What?’
Ella shakes her head as Dax pops his head out of the blue helicopter and whistles.
‘Who kidnapped the milkmaids?’
Abbey doesn’t miss a beat.‘Why?You hungry?’
‘Always.’He winks.
Across the lawn, I spot Lauren – the woman from the reception who’d talked about cattle as if they were close personal friends – waving as she approaches.
‘How was the rest of your night?’she asks me as Abbey gravitates closer to Dax.
